I have a ripple baby afghan to finish and then I will get started on my next lap afghan where I will use the P hook. Oh and I used half double crochet on the main part of the afghan as well as the edging. I went around the edge twice.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Finishing up some crochet
The girls dragged this huge afghan in from the 5th wheel where its been stashed in the closet for a while. I decided I'd better finish it up, all I had left was part of the last row of white and then the final edging so I just got busy and finished it. Its huge 96x96
Yesterday I finished this camo afghan which measures about 56x66. I used up some odd balls of camo and so it doesn't match exactly but Mollie liked it so its hers. I used an afghan hook which made the work go fast but I don't like the big holes it makes. The next afghan I made I will use a P hook, I bet that will be just right.
This one has neon orange edging and is just right to use when watching tv.
I have a ripple baby afghan to finish and then I will get started on my next lap afghan where I will use the P hook. Oh and I used half double crochet on the main part of the afghan as well as the edging. I went around the edge twice.
I have a ripple baby afghan to finish and then I will get started on my next lap afghan where I will use the P hook. Oh and I used half double crochet on the main part of the afghan as well as the edging. I went around the edge twice.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Happy birthday Jeff
Jeff's birthday is December 24th. His mom's birthday is today December 26th. Happy birthday Donna.
Christina and the kids made Jeff a birthday cake. His favorite, carrot cake with real carrots.
Christina is very good about getting everyone together for a family picture. She has a timer on her camera.
Christina and the kids made Jeff a birthday cake. His favorite, carrot cake with real carrots.
Tortilla pinwheels
•1 cup (8 ounces) Daisy Brand Sour Cream
•1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
•1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives
•1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, well drained
•1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup chopped green onions
•Garlic powder to taste
•Seasoned salt to taste
•5 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
•Fresh parsley for garnish
•Salsa
Directions
•In a large bowl, beat the first eight ingredients until blended. Spread over the tortillas; roll up tightly. Wrap each with plastic wrap, twisting ends; refrigerate for several hours.
•Unwrap; cut into 1/2-in. to 3/4-in. slices. (An electric knife works best.) Discard ends. Garnish with parsley. Serve with salsa if desired. Yield: about 4 dozen.
Nutritional Facts
1 serving (3 each) equals 180 calories, 11 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 305 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein.
We made these and took them to church last sunday and they were great. I thripled the recipe so we had some for home too.
Recipe source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Appetizer-Tortilla-Pinwheels
Dip recipe
1 bundle of cilantro
2 pint of sour cream
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 can of jalapeños
3 cloves of garlic (fresh)
1 cup salsa verdez Herdez
2 pk of ranch dip mix
1 fresh jalapeño
1 avocado optional
I usually split everything in half and blend it then blend the other half It won't all fit in my blender at one time.
This from Cody a man my husband works with. He says its great with tortilla chips. I wanted to post it here so I can find it later.
2 pint of sour cream
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 can of jalapeños
3 cloves of garlic (fresh)
1 cup salsa verdez Herdez
2 pk of ranch dip mix
1 fresh jalapeño
1 avocado optional
I usually split everything in half and blend it then blend the other half It won't all fit in my blender at one time.
This from Cody a man my husband works with. He says its great with tortilla chips. I wanted to post it here so I can find it later.
Making memory plates
We spent some time with some of our favorite people over the holidays. While there they made memory plates. Here are lots of pictures of our friends making their plates.
We used dollar store plates and mugs, sharpie markers and when done with the art work we baked at 350 degrees for 30 min. We learned that this works best with plain black sharpie markers. It was still fun. Even little Elijah made a plate. We had everyone sign and date their plates so each year they can make a new one and when they leave home they will have a whole set of special memory plates to take with them.
Birthday gifts from friends
My birthday was the 12th and Jeff's was the 24th. Our friends gave us these beautiful and thoughtful gifts.
Jeffs picture is of a fish and has a bible verse. Matthew 4:19 Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
My picture also had a verse, Isiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
Pastor Bill is quite an artist and he drew these pictures free hand.
This is the kind of gift that I like, one that takes thought and time and is a part of the giver as well as the giftee.
Thanks Bill and Christina and family.
Pastor Bill is quite an artist and he drew these pictures free hand.
This is the kind of gift that I like, one that takes thought and time and is a part of the giver as well as the giftee.
Thanks Bill and Christina and family.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
No hair? No problem.
If you don't have hair and its winter it can get real cold. What to do? Oh wait, grandma knows what to do. Grandma will fix both problems at the same time. Grandma will make you a hat that has bangs and piggy tails. It couldn't be any easier. Its like a wig for little girls.
She looks adorable in her new hair hat that I made for her dont you think? I just crack up when I look at this picture.
What took you so long?
FOR ALL THE MEN IN OUR LIVES WHO ASK, "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG IN THE RESTROOM?
When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place.
Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.
Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants!
The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty .
You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one , but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, ( Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR! ), yank down your pants, and assume " The Stance."
In this position your aging, toneless (I should have gone to the gym!!!) thigh muscles begin to shake.
You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance".
To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.
You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse . (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That will have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.
Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work.
The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest , and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet.
"Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny , crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT.
It is wet of course.
You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late . Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any , even if you had taken time to try.
You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear , "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get".
By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes.
The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.
At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat.
You're e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d.
You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket! and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.
You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors,....so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.
You are no longer able to smile politely to them.
A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this".
As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom.
Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"...
This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse, and hand you Kleenex under the door!
When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place.
Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.
Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants!
The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty .
You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one , but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, ( Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR! ), yank down your pants, and assume " The Stance."
In this position your aging, toneless (I should have gone to the gym!!!) thigh muscles begin to shake.
You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance".
To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.
You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse . (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That will have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.
Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work.
The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest , and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet.
"Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny , crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT.
It is wet of course.
You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late . Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any , even if you had taken time to try.
You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear , "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get".
By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes.
The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.
At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat.
You're e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d.
You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket! and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.
You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors,....so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.
You are no longer able to smile politely to them.
A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this".
As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom.
Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"...
This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse, and hand you Kleenex under the door!
Missionary update
From: "Brenda Lange"
Date: December 18, 2012, 7:53:07 PM CST
Subject: Blog, Dec. 18, 2012
VICTORY after 6 months of hard work! Today we completed the building of our first all cement brick orphan complex and assisted 6 orphan girls and their foster parents to move in. For the first time they have solar lights, and a real sink with drain to an outside septic. This is real uptown living in the bush of Mozambique. We PTL and all our supporters for making this a reality. The inspectors are happy and our girl's lives are now secure from having to return to the village of their birth.
It was a fast paced day as we had to move all their personal items, get the beds set up complete with 9 mosquito nets that had to be hung from the rafters, dig post holes and put up the 25 yard long chain link fence section we took down for construction purposes, hang the fire extinguisher on the wall, and teach the foster mother how to use her new solar lights, kitchen sink, and hand washing facilities. Helping people step into a world of modern living THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN is not an easy path to change.
Will be a fun time watching them all get used to a whole new way of life.
THANKS to ALL OF YOU for helping us to bring this vision into reality with your prayers and love gifts.
For me, it’s one done and one to go for this year!
We are hard at work, rushing to complete the window screens and paint job on the Boy’s dorm so they can move in my Jan. 4th.
I have to slop through the mud to Pemba this Saturday for supplies (11 hour drive usually), so you may not hear from me again until after Christmas.
(not to worry, I’m taking 3 men with me in case of mud problems)
Sorry there isn’t a photo of the new family and their new home, but Eric is in RSA and de Bunny is a bit “photo challenged” when it comes to downloading onto a computer.
We promise one as soon as Eric gets back!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU, FROM OUR O.U. STAFF IN MOZAMBIQUE AND THE USA!
Bush Bunny Brenda Lange
Linda Ferguson, (USA)
Eric Dry
Leona Phillips
And all the Balama orphanage staff
Date: December 18, 2012, 7:53:07 PM CST
Subject: Blog, Dec. 18, 2012
VICTORY after 6 months of hard work! Today we completed the building of our first all cement brick orphan complex and assisted 6 orphan girls and their foster parents to move in. For the first time they have solar lights, and a real sink with drain to an outside septic. This is real uptown living in the bush of Mozambique. We PTL and all our supporters for making this a reality. The inspectors are happy and our girl's lives are now secure from having to return to the village of their birth.
It was a fast paced day as we had to move all their personal items, get the beds set up complete with 9 mosquito nets that had to be hung from the rafters, dig post holes and put up the 25 yard long chain link fence section we took down for construction purposes, hang the fire extinguisher on the wall, and teach the foster mother how to use her new solar lights, kitchen sink, and hand washing facilities. Helping people step into a world of modern living THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN is not an easy path to change.
Will be a fun time watching them all get used to a whole new way of life.
THANKS to ALL OF YOU for helping us to bring this vision into reality with your prayers and love gifts.
For me, it’s one done and one to go for this year!
We are hard at work, rushing to complete the window screens and paint job on the Boy’s dorm so they can move in my Jan. 4th.
I have to slop through the mud to Pemba this Saturday for supplies (11 hour drive usually), so you may not hear from me again until after Christmas.
(not to worry, I’m taking 3 men with me in case of mud problems)
Sorry there isn’t a photo of the new family and their new home, but Eric is in RSA and de Bunny is a bit “photo challenged” when it comes to downloading onto a computer.
We promise one as soon as Eric gets back!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU, FROM OUR O.U. STAFF IN MOZAMBIQUE AND THE USA!
Bush Bunny Brenda Lange
Linda Ferguson, (USA)
Eric Dry
Leona Phillips
And all the Balama orphanage staff
Monday, December 17, 2012
My sewing room
Here in our new house I have a small sewing room with a nice sized closet. I needed shelves so my sweet husband put some up for me. We started out with cheap boards and he didn't like how they looked so we went to Lowe's and he bought the nice wire shelves. They really are very nice.
They are adjustable so I can configure them however I want. I was able to lay all my fabric out and to my dismay I don't have very much.
Here is the nice sized closet I can use to organize more of my crafts.
The closet still needs a bit of organization but its coming along. I have my yarn and other craft items stashed in there.
The next thing we need to do for my sewing room is get better lighting. Right now there is a ceiling fan with a light kit that has very small bulbs in it and they cant be changed out because of the way the base of the lights are made. Jeff is going to look at it to see if he can change out the whole light kit. We are also trying to figure out some type of lighting that would run along under the shelves. I have been sewing and using this room for a while now but with these improvements it will make it so much easier and more pleasant.
Here is the nice sized closet I can use to organize more of my crafts.
The next thing we need to do for my sewing room is get better lighting. Right now there is a ceiling fan with a light kit that has very small bulbs in it and they cant be changed out because of the way the base of the lights are made. Jeff is going to look at it to see if he can change out the whole light kit. We are also trying to figure out some type of lighting that would run along under the shelves. I have been sewing and using this room for a while now but with these improvements it will make it so much easier and more pleasant.
German Restaurant
Jeff took me to a German restaurant for my birthday. It was authentic and very good.
Jeff said the restaurant looked very much like the ones he ate at in Germany.
Jeff had the stuffed cabbage, it came with fried potatoes and homemade sauerkraut.
I had the Ruben sandwich. It came with fries. We each at half of our meal and then we switched plates so that we could each try both dishes. It was quite good and I plan to return.
Missionary update
INSPECTORS ARE HAPPY, ORPHANS MOVING INTO NEW HOUSING THIS WEEK!
It’s been an INTENSE 6 months of work to prepare the new housing complexes for our resident orphans. The girls' old home had to be torn down, debris removed, and a whole new complex built from concrete brick. That started at the end of June and is now COMPLETE! Hallalujah, PTL! We have a few spots to touch up with paint on Monday but we plan to move our 6 girls and their foster parents into this new complex on Wednesday. Nothing like a new home for Christmas!
The Teenage Boys' Dorm still needs many inner walls painted, doors mounted, and windows screens hammered into place. We plan to move them in the first week of January, as the daily rains (1-2 inches per day) have greatly hindered the workers. Starting at 5 am, we make the most of the few hours we have before the rains hit. Our construction teams have worked SOAKED to make things happen in this last week. I really appreciate their dedication as they know the deadline is upon all of us and the job MUST BE DONE on time.
Eric did a marvellous job of installing the solar lighting systems and the kitchen sinks in BOTH the girls and boys homes. Our kids now have the most modern homes in all of Balama County. The health inspectors who came this week were speechless! The only criticism they could think of was to put in SOAP DISHES ON THE BATHROOM WALLS! We all got a laugh out of that one!
We do still have one orphan complex to build next year, as we were physically overwhelmed with the massive workload it took to build the first 2 complexes in order to meet all of the new regulations. Foster mother Assia and the 8 boys and girls who live there are patiently waiting for us to rebuild their home in 2013. This construction will begin as soon as the rainy season ends in April. In the meantime, we are considering building an ARK for rainy season survival. (Just joking!)
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO GAVE TOWARDS THIS PROJECT SO OUR KIDS COULD CONTINUE LIVING WITH US! Six-year-old Dollar, our newest resident, approached me on his 2nd day in our care and asked: “May I stay here forever?” Abused and abandoned, he knew LOVE as soon as he received it!
If we had not been able to build these houses, these children would have been removed from our care. YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE GIVING MANY KIDS A FUTURE THEY NEVER DREAMED POSSIBLE.
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA’S SPEAKING TOUR SCHEDULE FOR 2013
The Bunny is hopping a plane to visit many of you! If you need further details, contact me or our office:
linda@orphansunlimited.org
TEXAS
Sunday, Jan. 27th, 9 am, LEHRER MEMORIAL CHURCH, Garwood, TX
Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 10 am, EMMANUEL FELLOWSHIP , Gonzales, TX
Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 6 pm, COLUMBUS BAPTIST CHURCH, Columbus, TX
Tuesday, Feb. 5, 10 am, ROCK ISLAND EVANGELICAL CHURCH, Rock Island, TX
Wednesday Feb. 6th, Private presentation, San Antonio,TX
Thursday Feb. 7th, CONCORDIA SCHOOL OF NURSING, Concordia University, Austin, TX
Friday, Feb. 8th (meeting pending in San Marcos, TX) place and time to be announced
Sunday, Feb. 10th, 10 am, NORTHPOINT CHURCH, New Braunfels, TX
Sunday, Feb. 10th, 6 pm, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, Sequin, TX
KANSAS, LOUISIANA, FLORIDA, OKLAHOMA, OHIO
Tuesday Feb. 12th to 15th, private presentations, Wichita, Kansas
Sunday Feb. 17th, HINESTON TABERNACLE (am service), Hineston, LA
Friday, Feb. 22nd, CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, Jacksonville, Florida
Sunday, Feb. 24th, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA CHURCH (details to be announced in January)
Feb. 26th-28th, VICTORY CHRISTIAN CENTER, Tulsa, OK, Wed. night service
Sunday, March 3rd, FAITH COMMUNITY CHAPEL, Leesville, OH
Monday March 4th, 8:15 am, INDIAN SPRINGS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Tuesday March 5th, Leesville Woman’s Meeting
Wednesday March 6th, 7 pm, Leesville Children’s meeting
Sunday March 10th, 10:30 am, OASIS ASSEMBLY OF GOD, Norwalk, OH
ALASKA
Tuesday March 12th to Monday, March 18th in Cordova, Alaska.
Sunday March 17th, morning service, LITTLE CHAPEL, Cordova, Alaska
TEXAS
Sunday, March 31st, 10 am, ALL AROUND COWBOY CHURCH, Sealy, TX
April 2nd, fly out to Mozambique!
Due to the heavy rains this week, travel to our bush churches is not possible. Eric Dry is in South Africa, as his 4th grandchild will be born via C-section this Wed., Dec. 19th. He’s a very proud grandpa and has the photos to prove it! Before he left, he brought me his portable hard drive with all his photos on it to put in our safe. 85,000+ photos to be exact! Most are the ministry, but he does have many files of his grandkids.
The blog will continue weekly during our wet Christmas season. Leona Phillips, Elizabeth Rumball (Australian visitor), and I are busy planning the orphans' Christmas party. We are praying for a dry day for the party, or we’ll have only water sports for activities!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us! I look forward to seeing many of you very soon. Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang.
It’s been an INTENSE 6 months of work to prepare the new housing complexes for our resident orphans. The girls' old home had to be torn down, debris removed, and a whole new complex built from concrete brick. That started at the end of June and is now COMPLETE! Hallalujah, PTL! We have a few spots to touch up with paint on Monday but we plan to move our 6 girls and their foster parents into this new complex on Wednesday. Nothing like a new home for Christmas!
The Teenage Boys' Dorm still needs many inner walls painted, doors mounted, and windows screens hammered into place. We plan to move them in the first week of January, as the daily rains (1-2 inches per day) have greatly hindered the workers. Starting at 5 am, we make the most of the few hours we have before the rains hit. Our construction teams have worked SOAKED to make things happen in this last week. I really appreciate their dedication as they know the deadline is upon all of us and the job MUST BE DONE on time.
Eric did a marvellous job of installing the solar lighting systems and the kitchen sinks in BOTH the girls and boys homes. Our kids now have the most modern homes in all of Balama County. The health inspectors who came this week were speechless! The only criticism they could think of was to put in SOAP DISHES ON THE BATHROOM WALLS! We all got a laugh out of that one!
We do still have one orphan complex to build next year, as we were physically overwhelmed with the massive workload it took to build the first 2 complexes in order to meet all of the new regulations. Foster mother Assia and the 8 boys and girls who live there are patiently waiting for us to rebuild their home in 2013. This construction will begin as soon as the rainy season ends in April. In the meantime, we are considering building an ARK for rainy season survival. (Just joking!)
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO GAVE TOWARDS THIS PROJECT SO OUR KIDS COULD CONTINUE LIVING WITH US! Six-year-old Dollar, our newest resident, approached me on his 2nd day in our care and asked: “May I stay here forever?” Abused and abandoned, he knew LOVE as soon as he received it!
If we had not been able to build these houses, these children would have been removed from our care. YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE GIVING MANY KIDS A FUTURE THEY NEVER DREAMED POSSIBLE.
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA’S SPEAKING TOUR SCHEDULE FOR 2013
The Bunny is hopping a plane to visit many of you! If you need further details, contact me or our office:
linda@orphansunlimited.org
TEXAS
Sunday, Jan. 27th, 9 am, LEHRER MEMORIAL CHURCH, Garwood, TX
Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 10 am, EMMANUEL FELLOWSHIP , Gonzales, TX
Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 6 pm, COLUMBUS BAPTIST CHURCH, Columbus, TX
Tuesday, Feb. 5, 10 am, ROCK ISLAND EVANGELICAL CHURCH, Rock Island, TX
Wednesday Feb. 6th, Private presentation, San Antonio,TX
Thursday Feb. 7th, CONCORDIA SCHOOL OF NURSING, Concordia University, Austin, TX
Friday, Feb. 8th (meeting pending in San Marcos, TX) place and time to be announced
Sunday, Feb. 10th, 10 am, NORTHPOINT CHURCH, New Braunfels, TX
Sunday, Feb. 10th, 6 pm, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, Sequin, TX
KANSAS, LOUISIANA, FLORIDA, OKLAHOMA, OHIO
Tuesday Feb. 12th to 15th, private presentations, Wichita, Kansas
Sunday Feb. 17th, HINESTON TABERNACLE (am service), Hineston, LA
Friday, Feb. 22nd, CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, Jacksonville, Florida
Sunday, Feb. 24th, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA CHURCH (details to be announced in January)
Feb. 26th-28th, VICTORY CHRISTIAN CENTER, Tulsa, OK, Wed. night service
Sunday, March 3rd, FAITH COMMUNITY CHAPEL, Leesville, OH
Monday March 4th, 8:15 am, INDIAN SPRINGS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Tuesday March 5th, Leesville Woman’s Meeting
Wednesday March 6th, 7 pm, Leesville Children’s meeting
Sunday March 10th, 10:30 am, OASIS ASSEMBLY OF GOD, Norwalk, OH
ALASKA
Tuesday March 12th to Monday, March 18th in Cordova, Alaska.
Sunday March 17th, morning service, LITTLE CHAPEL, Cordova, Alaska
TEXAS
Sunday, March 31st, 10 am, ALL AROUND COWBOY CHURCH, Sealy, TX
April 2nd, fly out to Mozambique!
Due to the heavy rains this week, travel to our bush churches is not possible. Eric Dry is in South Africa, as his 4th grandchild will be born via C-section this Wed., Dec. 19th. He’s a very proud grandpa and has the photos to prove it! Before he left, he brought me his portable hard drive with all his photos on it to put in our safe. 85,000+ photos to be exact! Most are the ministry, but he does have many files of his grandkids.
The blog will continue weekly during our wet Christmas season. Leona Phillips, Elizabeth Rumball (Australian visitor), and I are busy planning the orphans' Christmas party. We are praying for a dry day for the party, or we’ll have only water sports for activities!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us! I look forward to seeing many of you very soon. Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Happy birthday KASTYN
Then they drove around looking at the lights.
Happy birthday Kastyn, wish I could of been there but glad your aunts got to come. I love you.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Missionary update
DIXON JOINS OUR MISSION FAMILY
Dixon became very ill last week with a deadly type of amoebic dysentery. His mother is not well herself, and her weakness made it difficult for her to walk the 6 miles from her village to our mission station to ask for our medical help. ONLY BY GOD’S GRACE did Dixon survive 4 days with bloody diarrhea that should have killed him within 1 day! Supernatural protection is most evident here, as God’s protective angels surround that child, thanks to your many prayers. After a full course of medications, Dixon has recovered fully and is back to his cheery self again!
The mutual decision was made to move the entire family into one of our widow’s homes at our base for close observation and protection. With the mother’s unexplained weight loss and extreme weakness, Dixon’s health as well as the lives of his brother and sister are at high risk. This week, we will organize a medical consult for the mother to determine what is causing her problem. Please keep her in your prayers.
GIRL’S DORM AWAITS HEALTH INSPECTORS
Eric installed the solar panel and battery yesterday, and all that is left is to paint the doors and around the window frames. I’m working with Social Services and the health inspector in hopes that we can finalize their inspection this week and actually move them in by next weekend. Pray for favour, as the rainy season is upon us and we need to get them into the house before the mud gets too deep!
BOY’S DORM is in the final stages of being painted and the windows/doors being mounted. We hope to have them in by Christmas.
NAMARA CHURCH was inaugurated today, as the local members built it and our carpenters blessed them with the tin roof. NACACCA CHURCH received it’s tin roof last week, so those members are very happy to have a safe place to worship during the rainy season.
MIRACLE IN NACACCA
Last week, a group of people from the western part of Nacacca came to Pastor Sufu’s home asking for help. They’d heard about the healing miracles that Jesus is doing, and wanted prayer for a friend who was very ill with a very distended abdomen (possible liver failure). Pastor Sufu went to this man’s home with a large crowd following. He prayed for the man but nothing happened at that time. The crowd left. But the next morning, the man was sitting up and EATING when he hadn’t been able to do that the day before! The word spread like wildfire, because everyone thought this man was about to die. He’s making a rapid recovery, and we may not know what was really wrong till we meet the Lord himself. The WORD WORKS, and I encourage ALL OF YOU to pray for the sick where ever you encounter them. YOUR HEALTH is irreplaceable. Never take it for granted. I praise God daily for my health and His healing power that can flow through all believers as they pray. My heart’s desire is for a greater anointing so that ALL the sick are healed as we lay hands on and pray for them.
ABOUT OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Elizabeth Rumball from Sydney, Australia, has come to assist with our children’s programs for the next 4 weeks. It’s her first Mozambique experience, so she is working hard to learn some key Portuguese and Makua phrases. The children love her and get a big laugh at her attempts as talking to them in their language. Welcome aboard, Elizabeth!
Eric Dry will go on holiday to South Africa on Dec. 15th. Keep us all in prayer as “us girls” will have to hold down the fort while he is gone.
MY 2013 SPEAKING TOUR SCHEDULE IS ALMOST COMPLETE If you would like me to speak to a church or group, please contact me immediately as I still have 2 open dates.
Blessings!
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang
"Bush Bunny" Brenda Lange
LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042
LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036
PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@orphansunlimited.org
Brenda’s Blog is Posted at:
www.orphansunlimited.org/blog
or SUBSCRIBE to receive the blog by e-mail.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Safe in the arms of Jesus
My daughter Kaleena and son in law Justin go to church in Rockaway Beach Mo. Their youth pastor and wife had a sweet little baby girl Gracie Honey who had Trisomy 18. She was a gift they knew they might not get to enjoy very long. Gracie went to be with Jesus last night at the age of 57 oops 56 days. She now can breathe easy and is safe in the arms of Jesus. Her parents loved her and shared her with all the people in the church. She was truly a gift from God.
When Gracie's parents went to the doctor they wanted her to abort. Her parents refused. The doctor then refused to be their doctor. Good riddance. When Gracie was born they said her condition was incompatible with life. She lived 56 days and gave so many hope and peace and taught them to pray for life. For a little girl whose life was so brief , it's amazing how many she touched.
God bless you Gracie.
Mollie and Hannah left this morning to visit Kaleena for Kastyn first birthday and were hoping to meet baby Gracie. I think they will be there in time for her funeral. They were crestfallen that they didn't get to meet her but they will see her in heaven. God bless you little Gracie and all the lives you touched and praise God how your parents stayed strong in the Lord even through hard times.
When Gracie's parents went to the doctor they wanted her to abort. Her parents refused. The doctor then refused to be their doctor. Good riddance. When Gracie was born they said her condition was incompatible with life. She lived 56 days and gave so many hope and peace and taught them to pray for life. For a little girl whose life was so brief , it's amazing how many she touched.
God bless you Gracie.
Mollie and Hannah left this morning to visit Kaleena for Kastyn first birthday and were hoping to meet baby Gracie. I think they will be there in time for her funeral. They were crestfallen that they didn't get to meet her but they will see her in heaven. God bless you little Gracie and all the lives you touched and praise God how your parents stayed strong in the Lord even through hard times.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Kitchen chair redo
The people who sold us this house graciously left us a few pieces of furniture. The kitchen table and chairs are one of the things they left us. While functional they needed updating. The first thing I decided to do was to recover the cushions. Next I will be replacing the rollers as these are old and squeak and don't roll well.
I took a few pictures of the chairs as I was recovering them. I forgot to take a picture of the actual recovering process but I will try to explain what I did.
The first thing I did was measure the chair seat front to back and side to side, I also measured down and around to the bottom both ways. I figured I needed about 30 inches by 30 inches of fabric for each chair. This would give me plenty of fabric to fold around and down under and staple. The home DEC fabric came in 60 inch width so I bought 60 inches. When I got home I cut the piece of fabric into four pieces.
This is what the chairs looked like when I began.
Flip the chair over and remove all screws that are holding the seat onto the frame of the chair.
Take the seat off the chair and lay on your fabric which you have spread out onto your kitchen table. My chairs had a flat or even side which was the front so I folded the fabric under and stapled along the even edge trying to keep the fabric even. Next I turned the whole thing around and stapled the other side which would be the back of the chair or where it meets the back of the seat. I pleated, stapled and so on from the middle out. Then I did the same thing to the sides. Don't be afraid to use plenty of staples. Mollie took the old seats off and put the new seats on while Hannah and I recovered them with the new fabric.
Screw the newly covered chair pad back onto the chair.
Then you end up with new chair pads. They make the whole chair look so much better and cost me less than $15.00. I forgot to mention that the main reason I recovered the chairs was because the old compressed wood of one of the seats broke, so we took that chair pad completely apart and traced the seat onto new plywood, cut it out with a jig saw and used that new piece of wood to recover
and make the new seat from. I used the old padding that was already on the chairs. The other three chairs I did not take apart and just put the new fabric over the existing fabric. If they had been badly stained or torn up I would of taken the old fabric off and replaced the foam as well. Since mine were not torn or stained just old I just covered over them.
I took a few pictures of the chairs as I was recovering them. I forgot to take a picture of the actual recovering process but I will try to explain what I did.
The first thing I did was measure the chair seat front to back and side to side, I also measured down and around to the bottom both ways. I figured I needed about 30 inches by 30 inches of fabric for each chair. This would give me plenty of fabric to fold around and down under and staple. The home DEC fabric came in 60 inch width so I bought 60 inches. When I got home I cut the piece of fabric into four pieces.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Sick missionary
THE BUNNY IS FEELING NOT SO "HOPPY"
DE BUSH BUNNY is recovering from a touch of malaria that started Friday night. Malaria requires immediate treatment to keep it from becoming life threatening, but to those of us who have lived here for many years, it is just part of the “environmental challenges” we have to deal with in order to get the Gospel to the people. So please excuse my short note this week.
TAKING CARE OF THESE PRECIOUS ONES IS OUR JOY!
The little boy, Noberto, that I brought to the hospital last Sunday with an infected foot (a tire tool fell on his foot almost amputating his big toe, and put 2 large puncture wounds in the top of his foot), has stayed in one of our homes with his friend Veronica all week. His courage in the face of 7 penicillin shots was AMAZING. The hospital gave me permission to administer the shots and change his dressings at my home. NOT ONCE did Noberto cry or even say ouch when given an injection or when I had to clean his foot wound! But believe me, he was quick to grab his sucker from my hand when I was finished! Hopefully, he will get to go home later this week, as the Melaleuca oil is helping his foot wounds close rapidly.
NEW DVD IN THE WORKS.
Eric and I just spent 2 days writing and recording the voice over on the 4 minute DVD movie we made of this year’s accomplishments. The film will be shown at all my USA speaking engagements. Copies will be made available in Feb. for those who are unable to hear our stories in person.
FACEBOOK BUNNY BRENDA!
DE BUSH BUNNY is on FACEBOOK now. If you’d like to be a friend, just search for brendasuelange and send me a friend request. It’s wonderful to now have an internet server that is adequate to get us on the internet most of the time. It’s not perfect, but better than what we had!
PRAY FOR US.
We are praying for favour once again, as another group of inspectors are coming this Wed. or Thursday. So please keep us in mind during your prayer time.
More coming next week as we work hard to wrap up construction and prepare for the rainy season.
Lots of Love, Bush Bunny Brenda
LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042
LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036
PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@orphansunlimited
Brenda’s Blog is Posted at:
www.orphansunlimited.org/blog
or SUBSCRIBE to receive the blog by e-mail
DE BUSH BUNNY is recovering from a touch of malaria that started Friday night. Malaria requires immediate treatment to keep it from becoming life threatening, but to those of us who have lived here for many years, it is just part of the “environmental challenges” we have to deal with in order to get the Gospel to the people. So please excuse my short note this week.
TAKING CARE OF THESE PRECIOUS ONES IS OUR JOY!
The little boy, Noberto, that I brought to the hospital last Sunday with an infected foot (a tire tool fell on his foot almost amputating his big toe, and put 2 large puncture wounds in the top of his foot), has stayed in one of our homes with his friend Veronica all week. His courage in the face of 7 penicillin shots was AMAZING. The hospital gave me permission to administer the shots and change his dressings at my home. NOT ONCE did Noberto cry or even say ouch when given an injection or when I had to clean his foot wound! But believe me, he was quick to grab his sucker from my hand when I was finished! Hopefully, he will get to go home later this week, as the Melaleuca oil is helping his foot wounds close rapidly.
NEW DVD IN THE WORKS.
Eric and I just spent 2 days writing and recording the voice over on the 4 minute DVD movie we made of this year’s accomplishments. The film will be shown at all my USA speaking engagements. Copies will be made available in Feb. for those who are unable to hear our stories in person.
FACEBOOK BUNNY BRENDA!
DE BUSH BUNNY is on FACEBOOK now. If you’d like to be a friend, just search for brendasuelange and send me a friend request. It’s wonderful to now have an internet server that is adequate to get us on the internet most of the time. It’s not perfect, but better than what we had!
PRAY FOR US.
We are praying for favour once again, as another group of inspectors are coming this Wed. or Thursday. So please keep us in mind during your prayer time.
More coming next week as we work hard to wrap up construction and prepare for the rainy season.
Lots of Love, Bush Bunny Brenda
LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042
LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036
PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@orphansunlimited
Brenda’s Blog is Posted at:
www.orphansunlimited.org/blog
or SUBSCRIBE to receive the blog by e-mail
Friday, November 30, 2012
Homemade/handmade headboard
Since moving into our new house we have not collected a lot of furniture. We bought a new mattress and boxed springs and a hollywood frame. While I like that look I did kind of want a head board. I was thinking on how I could make one that wouldnt be costly and could be easily dismanteled if I chose and this is what I came up with.
Mollie and I found boxes that were similar in size in our stored things and used them as the base. I had this lovely quilt that my mom's cousin made that is a full size and therefore would not fit my bed so we draped it over the box's and pinned it. I ended up killing two birds with one stone so to say. I was able to put some things I had in storage in an out of the way spot as well as be able to see the pretty quilt that had previously just sat on a shelf. The only problem I can see with it is some day I may want to find some of the things that are in the box's and I may not remember that the head board is really a stack of box's. lol My grandmother moved around a lot when she was a young married woman and she got to where she didn't even unpack everything. The things that were keepsakes she left boxed and just used sheets to hide them. She then used them as room dividers, end tables and so on. I thought if she can do it so can I and so can you. If you lack storage space just put your keepsakes in similar sized boxes and stack them into table sizes, or head board sizes and so on.
Do you have unusually ways you make storage where there previously was none?
Do you have unusually ways you make storage where there previously was none?
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
fabric bowl cover tutorial
Some of the ladies in my sewing and craft group on facebook wanted instructions for my bowl covers. I decided it was time to make my first tutorial. My daughter Hannah filmed me while I demonstrated the process. Hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmPpXiA-fE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmPpXiA-fE
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Missionary update
AND THE LAME SHALL WALK!
Rabia (Rah-bee-ah) is 8 years old and had not walked for 5 years due to some kind of illness that affected both her legs. Severely malnourished and very frail, both her lower legs were covered with open, infected ulcers. Rabia and her grandmother came to our church last week for the first time. We prayed for her complete healing and commanded life back into her legs. I treated her ulcers with Melaleuca oil (which has 5 times the healing power of the Alavera cactus) and gave her antibiotics as well as a week’s worth of the high protein cereal, Hypo Pop, for malnourished children.
TODAY, RABIA SHOCKED ALL OF US BY WALKING TO THE CHURCH AND SHOWING EVERYONE THAT JESUS HAD HEALED HER!!!!!
It was amazing to see her WALKING on legs that were no more than toothpicks with skin covering them. The smile on her face said much more than words ever could. Her grandmother said that 5 days after we prayed for her, she just got up and started walking. Before this, Rabia had to be carried everywhere.
BACKPACK CLINIC BRINGING MANY TO CHRIST
I spent over an hour treating the sick after church today, as many are coming to seek prayer and medical help from the “backpack clinic” that I hold right after the Namara church service. A teenage boy brought his little 4 year old brother because his mother had neglected the little boys’ severely injured foot for 7 days. A metal rod had punctured the top of his left foot, causing an open wound that was badly infected. How the little one tolerated the pain, was amazing to me. The mother couldn’t be found, so the aunt agreed to come with us so the child could be attended at the Balama hospital. The little one needs 7 days of Penicillin injections and frequent bandage changes, so he will be living with his friend Veronica (the woman who was healed of the severely burnt foot). These 2 families know each other well, and Veronica was glad to have them stay with her while the little one gets the proper treatment.
My Christmas Wish List includes medicines for my “BACKPACK CLINIC”. This clinic is saving many lives each week with medicines that costs pennies per treatment. A child’s life can be saved for ONE DOLLAR. That is all it cost to treat a child with an infected wound, diarhea, respiratory infection, or an ear ache. $60 buys 1000 tablets of antibiotics that can save the lives of 65 children.
ROCKET STOVES BLASTING A REPUTATION IN BALAMA
FIVE HOUSES received the Rocket Stoves last week and more will be built this week. As you read this, Engineer Michael Lowe, will be landing in Atlanta, after working with our brick layers for the last 3 weeks to determine the best stoves for our needs. He built 2 different types: large stove for the huge pots needed for large groups, and the smaller household stove for families.
Rocket stoves use less firewood and put out very little smoke in comparison to normal open fire cooking (which is all we could do before learning to build the Rocket Stoves). The mothers LOVE THE STOVES as the food cooks so much faster, making it easier to prepare and eat a meal without having to wait 2 hours for the beans to cook.
THANK YOU MICHAEL LOWE FOR YOUR HELPING HAND IN BRINGING EFFICIENT COOKING TO OUR WIDOW’S HOMES.
We’d also like to thank our Texas donor who blessed Michael with the funds for this trip. God used Michael in many ways. He told me before he left that he really learned a lot from us too. It was a great learning experience for all of us.
Food Distributions are now completed for 2012 and it has rained 2 days this last week. We are hustling to complete all the construction as oil paint doesn’t dry well in damp weather. More to come next week, so stay tuned to the Bush Bunny Blog for further development.
FYI: due to a slightly faster internet service now in our area, I can now download Facebook. I have reactivated my personal page, so look me up if you want to be friends. Search for brendasuelange and you will find me.
PRAY FOR SAMANTHA BARNHART, as she will fly out this Wed. and be back in Butler, PA by Friday. SAM has been an awesome helper over the last 90 days as she assisted in the Sept. corn buying as well as coordinated the loading of all the truck loads of food that was distributed in the last 3 months. Sam assisted Leona with the woman’s programs, and helped with many children’s and sports evangelism programs. We wish her well, and hope God will call her back to us very soon.
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang
P.S. Personal thanks and blessings to all our readers who have sent get well messages and prayer support for me while I have been mending from my altercation with the rogue vacuum cleaner. The road to healing continues and God is faithful teaching us new things daily. Continued prayers are appreciated.
Rabia (Rah-bee-ah) is 8 years old and had not walked for 5 years due to some kind of illness that affected both her legs. Severely malnourished and very frail, both her lower legs were covered with open, infected ulcers. Rabia and her grandmother came to our church last week for the first time. We prayed for her complete healing and commanded life back into her legs. I treated her ulcers with Melaleuca oil (which has 5 times the healing power of the Alavera cactus) and gave her antibiotics as well as a week’s worth of the high protein cereal, Hypo Pop, for malnourished children.
TODAY, RABIA SHOCKED ALL OF US BY WALKING TO THE CHURCH AND SHOWING EVERYONE THAT JESUS HAD HEALED HER!!!!!
It was amazing to see her WALKING on legs that were no more than toothpicks with skin covering them. The smile on her face said much more than words ever could. Her grandmother said that 5 days after we prayed for her, she just got up and started walking. Before this, Rabia had to be carried everywhere.
BACKPACK CLINIC BRINGING MANY TO CHRIST
I spent over an hour treating the sick after church today, as many are coming to seek prayer and medical help from the “backpack clinic” that I hold right after the Namara church service. A teenage boy brought his little 4 year old brother because his mother had neglected the little boys’ severely injured foot for 7 days. A metal rod had punctured the top of his left foot, causing an open wound that was badly infected. How the little one tolerated the pain, was amazing to me. The mother couldn’t be found, so the aunt agreed to come with us so the child could be attended at the Balama hospital. The little one needs 7 days of Penicillin injections and frequent bandage changes, so he will be living with his friend Veronica (the woman who was healed of the severely burnt foot). These 2 families know each other well, and Veronica was glad to have them stay with her while the little one gets the proper treatment.
My Christmas Wish List includes medicines for my “BACKPACK CLINIC”. This clinic is saving many lives each week with medicines that costs pennies per treatment. A child’s life can be saved for ONE DOLLAR. That is all it cost to treat a child with an infected wound, diarhea, respiratory infection, or an ear ache. $60 buys 1000 tablets of antibiotics that can save the lives of 65 children.
ROCKET STOVES BLASTING A REPUTATION IN BALAMA
FIVE HOUSES received the Rocket Stoves last week and more will be built this week. As you read this, Engineer Michael Lowe, will be landing in Atlanta, after working with our brick layers for the last 3 weeks to determine the best stoves for our needs. He built 2 different types: large stove for the huge pots needed for large groups, and the smaller household stove for families.
We’d also like to thank our Texas donor who blessed Michael with the funds for this trip. God used Michael in many ways. He told me before he left that he really learned a lot from us too. It was a great learning experience for all of us.
FYI: due to a slightly faster internet service now in our area, I can now download Facebook. I have reactivated my personal page, so look me up if you want to be friends. Search for brendasuelange and you will find me.
PRAY FOR SAMANTHA BARNHART, as she will fly out this Wed. and be back in Butler, PA by Friday. SAM has been an awesome helper over the last 90 days as she assisted in the Sept. corn buying as well as coordinated the loading of all the truck loads of food that was distributed in the last 3 months. Sam assisted Leona with the woman’s programs, and helped with many children’s and sports evangelism programs. We wish her well, and hope God will call her back to us very soon.
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang
P.S. Personal thanks and blessings to all our readers who have sent get well messages and prayer support for me while I have been mending from my altercation with the rogue vacuum cleaner. The road to healing continues and God is faithful teaching us new things daily. Continued prayers are appreciated.
Bowl Covers
The other day the preachers wife and I made some bowl covers. In days gone by this was the type of thing ladies used to cover left overs and such before there was plastic wrap and tin foil. I am not a fan of either of them, they cost money and are a pain to use, (foil and plastic wrap, that is) so I thought the old fashioned bowl covers would be just the ticket.
First we found some nice fabric and some bowls, lids and plates to use as templates. Remembering that a using a large bowl to trace would result in a medium bowl cover we used a super large mixing bowl, a large plate and the cover from a large tub of ice cream. I also wanted a cover for 9 X 13 pans so I used one of mine and traced around it adding about 2 inches on all sides.
We then cut out two of each size we were making. With wrong sides together we began sewing and stretching 1/4 inch elastic around the perimeter of the fabric using a stretch zig zag stitch. We sewed the elastic about 1/4 inch inside the two layers of fabric. Once the elastic was stretched and stitched I zig zagged along the very edge of the fabric so you would not be able to see the elastic. I did not measure the elastic I just stretched it as I sewed and when I got to the place where I had started I cut it off and carefully stitched the end.
Do you have any easy frugal gifts you like to make?
First we found some nice fabric and some bowls, lids and plates to use as templates. Remembering that a using a large bowl to trace would result in a medium bowl cover we used a super large mixing bowl, a large plate and the cover from a large tub of ice cream. I also wanted a cover for 9 X 13 pans so I used one of mine and traced around it adding about 2 inches on all sides.
We then cut out two of each size we were making. With wrong sides together we began sewing and stretching 1/4 inch elastic around the perimeter of the fabric using a stretch zig zag stitch. We sewed the elastic about 1/4 inch inside the two layers of fabric. Once the elastic was stretched and stitched I zig zagged along the very edge of the fabric so you would not be able to see the elastic. I did not measure the elastic I just stretched it as I sewed and when I got to the place where I had started I cut it off and carefully stitched the end.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Spice cake recipe
•1 cup brown sugar
•1 egg
•1/2 cup raisins
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon allspice
•1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1 cup buttermilk
•2 teaspoons baking powder
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cream together the butter, brown sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in the raisins, salt and spices. Mix well. Add half the flour. Blend in the baking soda and milk. Stir in the remaining flour and baking powder.
For layer cake: Pour batter into two greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched, or test with cake tester. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to finish cooling before frosting.
For Sheet Cake: Pour into greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when touched, or test with cake tester. Frost in pan.
Source: http://www.texascooking.com/news/recipe/nov2012b.htm
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Tonic
Missionary update
From: "Brenda Lange"
Subject: Blog, Nov. 11, 2012
Date: November 11, 2012 5:41:29 AM CST
NOVEMBER—HOT AND DRY—WATER OUR MOST PRECIOUS COMODITY
With temps at 95 to 98 F (36 C) most of the day and EVERY CREATURE looking for water, this country’s water wells are packed with people.
Our water well team repaired 2 village wells this week within a few hours of being notified, because even 1 day without water makes people desperate.
That means the kids will drink any surface water they can find, leading to deadly dysentery or cholera.
WATER WELL REPAIR GIFTS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Mpaca’s (M-pah-ka) well was out for several days, when Pastor Pinto out of desperation, (his wife was seriously threatening to take the kids and go back to their home village where water existed), rode his bicycle 17 miles in this intense heat, to beg us to come fix it.
There are several wells in that area, but over 5,000 people needed water, and women were having fist fights over the 8 to 12 hour waiting period. He said the 5 gallon containers waiting to be filled covered an area 50 yards/meters square at each well! Pumping 24 hours couldn’t fill the need.
Our team was out there the next day. The well was down because $30 worth of plastic and rubber parts had worn out.
On Thursday, my driver picked up our painters after they completed painting the Namara church walls to protect them from rain.
As they passed the Pequaria church, they were stopped and told that the village’s ONLY water well had broken that morning.
They begged us to fix it. Within 2 hours our team was there and the same $30 worth of parts was all it needed to fix it.
SO LITTLE CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH FOR 1000’S OF PEOPLE.
STOVE BUILDING GOING WELL
The 2 prototypes have been built and we will fire them up tomorrow (had to let the mortar dry).
The women have seen it and are excited as they are willing to try anything to cut down on their use of firewood.
We’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
Michael is enjoying getting to know the local culture and the people.
He’s even learned the essential words of Bom Dia and SALAMA! (greeting in the local Makua language)
GOD OPENS THE DOOR FOR MASSIVE HEALTH TEACHINGS VIA RADIO!
IMPACT WILL AFFECT 128,000 PEOPLE!!!!
The Balama radio station manager came to us in desperation this week, begging for help with his community service programs.
His sponsors had slowly melted away this year, until he was left with NO funds to help the people learn to live healthier lives.
The men and women working to put these radio programs together, AND handle the daily radio broadcasting only receive $7/MONTH as their reward for over 80 hours of work. They truly have a heart to help the public.
This is a great OPEN DOOR for us, as it gives us the opportunity to impact 128,000 people with our health teachings on Abstinence against the spread of AIDS, preventing malaria, cholera, dysentery, TB, and many other health problems that plague these communities. We’ll be able to impact them with Biblical morals, etc. as well as teach them through Christian music.
PROGRAMS are as follows:
COMMUNITY HEALTH: (30 minute program) how to avoid and what to do when you get sick with the main killer diseases of our area (malaria, cholera, dysentery, AIDS, etc).
WOMEN’S PROGRAMS (15 min) on better BABY CARE and how to raise healthy children, nutrition, etc.
SANITATION PROGRAMS: (20 min.) Construction of latrines, hygiene, avoiding water borne diseases
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS: (15 min.) teaching them the basics of healthy living in a very simple way
Eric and our Program Director, Nilza, who is specially trained in Social Service work, will be combining forces with the local radio station volunteers to get these programs organized and ready to record in January. CHRISTIAN MUSIC will be used to highlight the programs.
These villagers are crazy about our music, so this will be used as a drawing card to get people to learn what they need to know.
WE NEED SPONSORS FOR THESE PROGRAMS that will air WEEKLY for a total of 80 minutes/week starting in Janaury.
Nov. and Dec. has been donated, as the radio station has programs that are ready to air.
30 min. costs $42/week or $168/month
20 min. costs $28/week or $112/month
15 min. costs $21/week or $84/month
This is a gift that will impact the multitudes as EVERY VILLAGE has people with “boom boxes” who blast these programs for all to hear.
If God leads you to help us with this program, please put RADIO in your check memo so we know how to use your gift.
BIBLE SCHOOL GRADUATION FEAST HELD LAST FRIDAY
NINETY FIVE Students from 3 bush Bible School extension programs converged on Balama Friday to receive their final words of wisdom (and a great goat feast) before being sent out to evangelize their neighbors in very remote areas of Balama county.
Pastor Alberto Pessute and I are part of the International Victory Bible Institute program. Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, OK provides us the teaching materials in Portuguese. Pastor Alberto translates it into Makua for his teachings in the remote areas as the people do not speak Portuguese.
God’s Word is being planted and multiplies among the lost as we train up leaders to help harvest God’s End Time Believers.
YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE REAPING A TREMENDOUS HARVEST!
Blessings to all of you, as we continue to hand out food to the orphans before the rainy season isolates them in their remote villages.
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama Team.
Subject: Blog, Nov. 11, 2012
Date: November 11, 2012 5:41:29 AM CST
NOVEMBER—HOT AND DRY—WATER OUR MOST PRECIOUS COMODITY
With temps at 95 to 98 F (36 C) most of the day and EVERY CREATURE looking for water, this country’s water wells are packed with people.
Our water well team repaired 2 village wells this week within a few hours of being notified, because even 1 day without water makes people desperate.
That means the kids will drink any surface water they can find, leading to deadly dysentery or cholera.
WATER WELL REPAIR GIFTS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Mpaca’s (M-pah-ka) well was out for several days, when Pastor Pinto out of desperation, (his wife was seriously threatening to take the kids and go back to their home village where water existed), rode his bicycle 17 miles in this intense heat, to beg us to come fix it.
There are several wells in that area, but over 5,000 people needed water, and women were having fist fights over the 8 to 12 hour waiting period. He said the 5 gallon containers waiting to be filled covered an area 50 yards/meters square at each well! Pumping 24 hours couldn’t fill the need.
Our team was out there the next day. The well was down because $30 worth of plastic and rubber parts had worn out.
On Thursday, my driver picked up our painters after they completed painting the Namara church walls to protect them from rain.
As they passed the Pequaria church, they were stopped and told that the village’s ONLY water well had broken that morning.
They begged us to fix it. Within 2 hours our team was there and the same $30 worth of parts was all it needed to fix it.
SO LITTLE CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH FOR 1000’S OF PEOPLE.
STOVE BUILDING GOING WELL
The 2 prototypes have been built and we will fire them up tomorrow (had to let the mortar dry).
The women have seen it and are excited as they are willing to try anything to cut down on their use of firewood.
We’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
Michael is enjoying getting to know the local culture and the people.
He’s even learned the essential words of Bom Dia and SALAMA! (greeting in the local Makua language)
GOD OPENS THE DOOR FOR MASSIVE HEALTH TEACHINGS VIA RADIO!
IMPACT WILL AFFECT 128,000 PEOPLE!!!!
The Balama radio station manager came to us in desperation this week, begging for help with his community service programs.
His sponsors had slowly melted away this year, until he was left with NO funds to help the people learn to live healthier lives.
The men and women working to put these radio programs together, AND handle the daily radio broadcasting only receive $7/MONTH as their reward for over 80 hours of work. They truly have a heart to help the public.
This is a great OPEN DOOR for us, as it gives us the opportunity to impact 128,000 people with our health teachings on Abstinence against the spread of AIDS, preventing malaria, cholera, dysentery, TB, and many other health problems that plague these communities. We’ll be able to impact them with Biblical morals, etc. as well as teach them through Christian music.
PROGRAMS are as follows:
COMMUNITY HEALTH: (30 minute program) how to avoid and what to do when you get sick with the main killer diseases of our area (malaria, cholera, dysentery, AIDS, etc).
WOMEN’S PROGRAMS (15 min) on better BABY CARE and how to raise healthy children, nutrition, etc.
SANITATION PROGRAMS: (20 min.) Construction of latrines, hygiene, avoiding water borne diseases
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS: (15 min.) teaching them the basics of healthy living in a very simple way
Eric and our Program Director, Nilza, who is specially trained in Social Service work, will be combining forces with the local radio station volunteers to get these programs organized and ready to record in January. CHRISTIAN MUSIC will be used to highlight the programs.
These villagers are crazy about our music, so this will be used as a drawing card to get people to learn what they need to know.
WE NEED SPONSORS FOR THESE PROGRAMS that will air WEEKLY for a total of 80 minutes/week starting in Janaury.
Nov. and Dec. has been donated, as the radio station has programs that are ready to air.
30 min. costs $42/week or $168/month
20 min. costs $28/week or $112/month
15 min. costs $21/week or $84/month
This is a gift that will impact the multitudes as EVERY VILLAGE has people with “boom boxes” who blast these programs for all to hear.
If God leads you to help us with this program, please put RADIO in your check memo so we know how to use your gift.
BIBLE SCHOOL GRADUATION FEAST HELD LAST FRIDAY
NINETY FIVE Students from 3 bush Bible School extension programs converged on Balama Friday to receive their final words of wisdom (and a great goat feast) before being sent out to evangelize their neighbors in very remote areas of Balama county.
Pastor Alberto Pessute and I are part of the International Victory Bible Institute program. Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, OK provides us the teaching materials in Portuguese. Pastor Alberto translates it into Makua for his teachings in the remote areas as the people do not speak Portuguese.
God’s Word is being planted and multiplies among the lost as we train up leaders to help harvest God’s End Time Believers.
YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE REAPING A TREMENDOUS HARVEST!
Blessings to all of you, as we continue to hand out food to the orphans before the rainy season isolates them in their remote villages.
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama Team.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
We have a dinningroom table and hutch
Every time I have found a piece of furniture on Craigslist and called about it, made an appointment to go look and buy it I get a text that it is sold. The only thing I have been able to buy is the German Shrunk.
I noticed a used furniture store in town so I stopped to check it out. They had a very large dinning room table and 6 chairs and a matching hutch. The price was right so I told Jeff and the girls about it. The girls and I drove back to town today in the pick up and after the girls saw the set they thought it was worth the asking price so we bought it, loaded it up and brought it home. I was able to unpack some of my pretty glass things to put in the hutch. Once we get the German Shrunk put back together I will have lots more places to put the pretties. I downsized quite a bit on them but some of them were things I wanted to keep.
This is the table, chairs and hutch set up in our new dinning room.
There were only 6 chairs but there is plenty of room for at least two more chairs. I will be on the look out for two chairs that are similar to the ones in the set. I am sure I will not be able to find some that match exactly but if I can find some that are similar I can place them in the middle with the others on the outsides I think it will work just fine. I do want to buy a nicer table cloth. This is one I found in some things headed to someones dumpster.
We plan to go to a furniture store to look for living room furniture. I am not in a big rush so I can take my time and find the furniture that will look nice and that we like.
I noticed a used furniture store in town so I stopped to check it out. They had a very large dinning room table and 6 chairs and a matching hutch. The price was right so I told Jeff and the girls about it. The girls and I drove back to town today in the pick up and after the girls saw the set they thought it was worth the asking price so we bought it, loaded it up and brought it home. I was able to unpack some of my pretty glass things to put in the hutch. Once we get the German Shrunk put back together I will have lots more places to put the pretties. I downsized quite a bit on them but some of them were things I wanted to keep.
This is the table, chairs and hutch set up in our new dinning room.
We plan to go to a furniture store to look for living room furniture. I am not in a big rush so I can take my time and find the furniture that will look nice and that we like.
Gift list
OUR CIRCUIT RIDING PROFESSOR URGENTLY NEEDS NEW BIKE:
Evangelist Alberto Pessute travelled 4,500 miles (7500 km) as a circuit rider teacher on his 50 cc motorbike this year in order to teach 3 Bible Schools (100+ students) and start the 2 churches in Namuno county. He just called to ask for emergency help, as his motor bike “bit the dust” about 9 miles (15Km) out in the bush as he was coming back from teaching at one of our bush churches today. We knew the bike was near it’s limit, but had hopes that it would last through December when the Bible School year was over and the 2 Namuno churches were able to be independent of his teachings.
$750 is needed to provide him with a new bike so Teacher Alberto can wrap up his teaching year.
NEW BORN BABIES:
•BABY BOTTLES: (6 pack) $7
•FORMULA: (1 can) $6 or (12 pack) $72
ORPHAN CHILDREN:
We have over 1,750+ orphans living with a grandmother or aunt who lack the basics to live a healthy life. No matter how small, each gift does make a difference.
Each orphan is in need of the following:
•PLATE,CUP,SPOON SET: $3/each ($30 provides for 10 orphans)
•FOOD: (1 sack of corn) $20
•BEANS: (1 sack of beans) $32
•CLOTHING: (4 shirts and 4 pants or skirts/year) $30/child/year
•BLANKET: (one blanket per child) $15
•BLANKETS: (bale of 25 blankets) $375
•BED and GRASS MAT: (each set) $7
•SPONSOR AN ORPHAN: (Provides an orphan with food, clothing, school material, school uniform, and medical care in one of our Christ centered foster homes.) $30/month or one time gift of $360/yr.
*WIDOW’S KITCHEN START UP KIT: (2 cook pans, wash Basin, bucket, 5 gallon water container) $30
•FLASHLIGHT: (and set of batteries) $5 (no electricity makes it pretty scary to go to the outhouse at night without one)
•SCHOOL BACKPACK: (for the kid’s school supplies) $8 each.
GIFTS TO PROVIDE A FUTURE:
As our orphans grow up and leave our “nest”, they need a helping hand to get started.
We have almost 100 kids needing Young Farmer Kits so they can start their own farms.
Each of these kids is eligible to enter into our 2013 Goat Rearing School, and receive a “starter goat herd” once they graduate.
•PREGNANT GOAT: $60 each
•YOUNG FARMER STARTER KIT: (includes farming hoe, machete, and seeds for corn and beans) $15
•DUCK: $10
CLEAN WATER:
(a gift of life to a whole village)
•DRILL A WELL: $8,500
•AFRIDEC HAND PUMP: (for a well) $2,500
•REPAIR A WELL KIT: $100
BRENDA’S BACKPACK OF MEDICAL MIRACLES:
(Donate the cost of basic medications that saves lives in remote areas)
•WOUND INFECTIONS: (treats 60 children) $40
•MALARIA: (saves a child from certain death) $7
•DYSENTERY: (treats 60 children) $40
•CONJUNCTIVITIS: (buys a 12 pack of ointment that treats over 60 kids) $60
•VITAMINS: (buys 1000 tablets to treat post malaria anemia that kills many children, includes iron) $40
•HYPO PACKETS: (For malnourished children; buys a baby a week’s worth of high protein cereal) 50 cents or $100 buys 22 lbs. (10 kg) of Hypo and provides 17 children with 4 months of high protein food. ( Dixon, Zito, and many of our babies and malnourished toddlers were saved because of this high protein instant cereal that must be bought in South Africa). We use about 200 lbs. ($900) (100kg) of it a year.
Baby Dixion
MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thank you for giving to our children as we celebrate Christ’s birth on earth.
Bush Bunny Brenda and the staff of Orphans Unlimited, Inc.
LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042
LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036
PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@orphansunlimited.
Kidnapped
From: "Brenda Lange"
Subject: Blog, Nov. 4, 2012
Date: November 4, 2012 4:50:05 AM CST
KIDNAPPED
MEET DOMINICA, AGE TWO
Nov. 1st started out as an uneventful food distribution morning at our Balama base, which turned into an “AMBER ALERT” by 2pm.
The 2 year old toddler, Dominica, has been with us for over 18 months.
She was removed from her home as a 6 month old infant, due to severe neglect by her “mentally disturbed mother” (given no food until she almost starved to death, and left outside to cry for hours with no care). This woman has caused several disturbances at Balbina’s foster home in the past, including one incident where she brought her machete and demanded the return of her child. When that occurred last year, Balbina sent someone to fetch us and calmly kept this woman “at arm’s length” until help arrived. A severe counselling at the police station, and she kept her distance for over 10 months.
Last Thursday, this highly disturbed mother went to Balbina’s house demanding her food allowance for the week.
(She never showed up at our mission station that morning to get the food we normally give her). Balbina explained she didn’t have her food, and that she would have to go to Mama Brenda, as the food distribution was over. She began to scream at Balbana and grabbed for Dominica, who was being held in Balbina’s arms.
Balbina jerked away, but not before this woman bit Balbina’s arm. The pain from the bite, loosened Balbina’s grip enough that this desperate woman was able to snatch the child and run. Balbina’s husband got home just has it all happened. He raced to my office on his bicycle to tell us that Dominica had been kidnapped.
Dominica was once again in the hands of this mentally unstable woman and no one knew where she would be taken.
(FYI: Balbina was fine as the bite didn’t’ break the skin.)
I immediately called our District Social Services officer, but he was in Pemba (4 hours away). He instructed me to get our leaders and go to the police if she wouldn’t return the child.
Capena, Head Administrator for O.U, in Balama, and Nilza, our resident Social Service worker, met me at my house.
We decided to “trade her” for what she really wanted. (The food she never picked up that morning.)
She has said many times she has no use for Dominica, so we knew she didn’t really want the child.
We fixed up the food she was supposed to receive that morning and went looking for her. PTL that she headed to her mud hut in a village about 3 miles from us, and our team located her near her home.
She willingly gave up Dominica in exchange for the food, and was told that if she does this again, she will go to jail. (The Police is the only thing she is really scared of).
In Moz., the laws protect the mentally disturbed. Unless she physically harms someone, the police can do nothing to this woman. So although this looks like it was not the right thing to do (giving her what she wanted), the important thing is that Dominica was returned unharmed.
This was very traumatic for Dominica, as she sees Balbina as her true mother. She possibly has some memory of the bad times in her early life with her birth mother, so right now we are concentrating on making her feel secure.
We also realize that if this woman fails to pick up her food in future, we need to take special precautions to prevent a repeat of this incident.
WEIRD WEATHER IN MOZAMBIQUE
Normally, October and November are SUPER HOT AND DRY—98-102 degrees F (38-40 C) with no rains till end of November.
But Antarctica has been sending us some unique cold fronts this year, causing many kids to have colds and upper respiratory infections.
Remember, these kids have only thin cotton clothing, and most don’t own a long sleeve shirt, much less a jacket.
Thursday and Friday it RAINED many hours with strong, bitterly cold winds coming from the south.
I spent the day in a sweat suit!
With the unexpected rains, our teams had to scramble as the Naccaca church is not roofed yet, and the Namara church needed it’s concrete footing and oil paint to protect it from blowing rain. Our 18 man brick laying team went out yesterday and in 6 hours completed all the work on the Namara church.
Our teams will work hard this week to dig the holes needed so the roof can be built over the Naccaca church.
With Jesus returning soon, the only “norm” we can expect is that “NOTHING WILL BE AS IT WAS IN THE PAST”.
So expect the unexpected and you won’t be caught off guard.
ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS representative, Michael Lowe, of North Carolina arrived yesterday.
After church today, I took Michael to 3 of our homes so he could “get a visual” on what is needed. He will be assisting us in planning and building 2 types of very efficient wood burning stoves that use only small amounts of firewood, even twigs if that is all you have.
I’ll keep you updated on how this goes and we’ll send photos of the end result.
Michael has 3 weeks to organize, build, and train our team to duplicate what works best with our local materials.
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang
Subject: Blog, Nov. 4, 2012
Date: November 4, 2012 4:50:05 AM CST
KIDNAPPED
Nov. 1st started out as an uneventful food distribution morning at our Balama base, which turned into an “AMBER ALERT” by 2pm.
The 2 year old toddler, Dominica, has been with us for over 18 months.
She was removed from her home as a 6 month old infant, due to severe neglect by her “mentally disturbed mother” (given no food until she almost starved to death, and left outside to cry for hours with no care). This woman has caused several disturbances at Balbina’s foster home in the past, including one incident where she brought her machete and demanded the return of her child. When that occurred last year, Balbina sent someone to fetch us and calmly kept this woman “at arm’s length” until help arrived. A severe counselling at the police station, and she kept her distance for over 10 months.
Last Thursday, this highly disturbed mother went to Balbina’s house demanding her food allowance for the week.
(She never showed up at our mission station that morning to get the food we normally give her). Balbina explained she didn’t have her food, and that she would have to go to Mama Brenda, as the food distribution was over. She began to scream at Balbana and grabbed for Dominica, who was being held in Balbina’s arms.
Balbina jerked away, but not before this woman bit Balbina’s arm. The pain from the bite, loosened Balbina’s grip enough that this desperate woman was able to snatch the child and run. Balbina’s husband got home just has it all happened. He raced to my office on his bicycle to tell us that Dominica had been kidnapped.
Dominica was once again in the hands of this mentally unstable woman and no one knew where she would be taken.
(FYI: Balbina was fine as the bite didn’t’ break the skin.)
I immediately called our District Social Services officer, but he was in Pemba (4 hours away). He instructed me to get our leaders and go to the police if she wouldn’t return the child.
Capena, Head Administrator for O.U, in Balama, and Nilza, our resident Social Service worker, met me at my house.
We decided to “trade her” for what she really wanted. (The food she never picked up that morning.)
She has said many times she has no use for Dominica, so we knew she didn’t really want the child.
We fixed up the food she was supposed to receive that morning and went looking for her. PTL that she headed to her mud hut in a village about 3 miles from us, and our team located her near her home.
She willingly gave up Dominica in exchange for the food, and was told that if she does this again, she will go to jail. (The Police is the only thing she is really scared of).
In Moz., the laws protect the mentally disturbed. Unless she physically harms someone, the police can do nothing to this woman. So although this looks like it was not the right thing to do (giving her what she wanted), the important thing is that Dominica was returned unharmed.
This was very traumatic for Dominica, as she sees Balbina as her true mother. She possibly has some memory of the bad times in her early life with her birth mother, so right now we are concentrating on making her feel secure.
We also realize that if this woman fails to pick up her food in future, we need to take special precautions to prevent a repeat of this incident.
WEIRD WEATHER IN MOZAMBIQUE
Normally, October and November are SUPER HOT AND DRY—98-102 degrees F (38-40 C) with no rains till end of November.
But Antarctica has been sending us some unique cold fronts this year, causing many kids to have colds and upper respiratory infections.
Remember, these kids have only thin cotton clothing, and most don’t own a long sleeve shirt, much less a jacket.
Thursday and Friday it RAINED many hours with strong, bitterly cold winds coming from the south.
I spent the day in a sweat suit!
With the unexpected rains, our teams had to scramble as the Naccaca church is not roofed yet, and the Namara church needed it’s concrete footing and oil paint to protect it from blowing rain. Our 18 man brick laying team went out yesterday and in 6 hours completed all the work on the Namara church.
Our teams will work hard this week to dig the holes needed so the roof can be built over the Naccaca church.
With Jesus returning soon, the only “norm” we can expect is that “NOTHING WILL BE AS IT WAS IN THE PAST”.
So expect the unexpected and you won’t be caught off guard.
ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS representative, Michael Lowe, of North Carolina arrived yesterday.
After church today, I took Michael to 3 of our homes so he could “get a visual” on what is needed. He will be assisting us in planning and building 2 types of very efficient wood burning stoves that use only small amounts of firewood, even twigs if that is all you have.
I’ll keep you updated on how this goes and we’ll send photos of the end result.
Michael has 3 weeks to organize, build, and train our team to duplicate what works best with our local materials.
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang
Paying the price
From: "Brenda Lange"
Date: November 4, 2012, 7:25:24 AM CST
Subject: Blog addition, Nov. 4th, 2012
THE PRICE OF SERVICE TO OUR LORD JESUS
In Mozambique, if you want a church in the bush, the members have to build it.
Pastor Alberto just returned a few minutes ago with a heavy heart.
He went to preach God’s Word at Ntele, a very remote village with over 40 adults and 80+ children attending our newest “under the tree” church each Sunday.
The rainy season is only 2 weeks away, so the members are in a rush to complete their church. It only lacks the roof.
Late yesterday afternoon, a group of church men were out cutting bamboo poles for the roof.
The grass and bamboos were swaying in the heavy winds. It was hard to hear and difficult to see with all the dust flying.
Unknown to these men, a black mamba, the fastest snake in the world, was stalking the area. The snake struck one of the men before anyone saw it.
That man only had minutes to say his goodbyes before his tongue was paralyzed by the fast acting venom. He met Jesus a few minutes later.
Alberto encountered the church members digging his grave when he arrived.
Alberto preached the funeral, as the whole village looked on.
This man did not die in vain, as many from his village heard the gospel today who might not have ever heard it otherwise.
His earthly body lays near the church he helped build, while he’s enjoying a NEW BODY with Christ Jesus in heaven.
BLESSINGS,
BBB and The Balama Gang
Date: November 4, 2012, 7:25:24 AM CST
Subject: Blog addition, Nov. 4th, 2012
THE PRICE OF SERVICE TO OUR LORD JESUS
In Mozambique, if you want a church in the bush, the members have to build it.
Pastor Alberto just returned a few minutes ago with a heavy heart.
He went to preach God’s Word at Ntele, a very remote village with over 40 adults and 80+ children attending our newest “under the tree” church each Sunday.
The rainy season is only 2 weeks away, so the members are in a rush to complete their church. It only lacks the roof.
Late yesterday afternoon, a group of church men were out cutting bamboo poles for the roof.
The grass and bamboos were swaying in the heavy winds. It was hard to hear and difficult to see with all the dust flying.
Unknown to these men, a black mamba, the fastest snake in the world, was stalking the area. The snake struck one of the men before anyone saw it.
That man only had minutes to say his goodbyes before his tongue was paralyzed by the fast acting venom. He met Jesus a few minutes later.
Alberto encountered the church members digging his grave when he arrived.
Alberto preached the funeral, as the whole village looked on.
This man did not die in vain, as many from his village heard the gospel today who might not have ever heard it otherwise.
His earthly body lays near the church he helped build, while he’s enjoying a NEW BODY with Christ Jesus in heaven.
BLESSINGS,
BBB and The Balama Gang
Monday, November 5, 2012
Multiplication Table Video
Filling in the multiplication table.
Multiplication song.
http://youtu.be/vzXcI49jdV0
School House Rock Multiplication part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh-XcjYrzHY&feature=related
School House Rock Multiplication part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgZgW0F3L3Y&feature=relmfu
School House Rock Multiplication part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGgzG-L_7Og&feature=relmfu
7 times table song
http://youtu.be/qxICbEQCS1s
Multiplication song.
http://youtu.be/vzXcI49jdV0
School House Rock Multiplication part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh-XcjYrzHY&feature=related
School House Rock Multiplication part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgZgW0F3L3Y&feature=relmfu
School House Rock Multiplication part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGgzG-L_7Og&feature=relmfu
7 times table song
http://youtu.be/qxICbEQCS1s
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Missonary update
From: "Brenda Lange"
Subject: Blog October 28, 2012
Date: October 28, 2012 6:09:37 AM CDT
150+ NAMARA CHURCH MEMBERS GET FAITH BOOSTER TODAY
A woman came to the church for the first time today with an injured leg that had been swollen and very painful for over a year. After church members prayed for her, EVERYONE watched as the swelling went away and she was able to walk without pain! This was a real faith booster because THEY prayed and Jesus answered. Because I had prayed when other miracles had happened, some of the members were thinking that Jesus would only answer my prayers, even though we told them repeatedly that THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY as believers to ask in Jesus name and EXPECT the answer. This was a super valuable faith lesson for all of them today. PRAISE THE LORD for His mercy and grace!
FAITH IN JESUS CAN MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN IN OUR PATH, BUT WE MUST BELIEVE!
Here’s one to put up on your wall.
FAITH-sees the invisible
BELIEVES the incredible and
RECEIVES the impossible
(author unknown)
2013 SPEAKING TOUR OPEN FOR INVITATIONS
Due to commitments in Mozambique, my 2013 USA tour will be from Feb. 1st to March 31st. Invitations are already flowing in, and there are only a few Sundays to work with.
If your church would like to hear our story first hand, please contact me immediately so we can work out a visit date. I always look forward to seeing as many people as possible when I’m stateside.
Eric Dry, Associate Director in Balama, and our Master Movie Maker, is hard at work putting together a DVD on all we have accomplished in 2012. Your love and prayers mean a lot to us and the kids.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
FYI: OUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST IS ABOUT TO BE RELEASED.
This is your opportunity to give a special gift to a family member or friend and help an orphan at the same time.
NAMUNO FOOD HANDOUT COMPLETED LAST FRIDAY!
These malnourished kids and their parents now have food and seed to plant, thanks to your generous donations. Over 49 TONS of CORN, 12 TONS of BEANS, half a ton of salt, and 1,240 BARS of soap were distributed to these hungry families thanks to your love gifts. They will be busy organizing their corn and bean fields this week as the HOPE ONLY JESUS can bring, has put a smile on their face and a new beginning in their hands. AGAIN WE THANK YOU for making this possible.
ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS GOES GREEN
Michael Lowe, from Engineers without Borders, is flying in from the USA next Saturday, Nov. 3rd. His objective during his 3 week visit is to train up members of our staff to build a special type of “rocket stove” that uses very small amounts of fire wood to cook a family’s daily food. Firewood is getting scarce in our area, and our foster mothers use about 40 bundles per week! (20 pieces of firewood/ bundle). There are many “rocket stove” designs, and Michael travels the world teaching locals how to build the one that will work best in their area, depending on what type of materials are available. This will not only benefit our foster mothers, but we hope that our team can begin teaching others in the villages how to build them so they, too, can also cut their firewood usage. Ask any woman around here and she will tell you that finding firewood takes up most of her day. I’ll keep you posted on how this develops.
CONSTRUCTION WRAP-UP
Both our construction sites are in the final stages of the “detail work”. (slow and tedious) Balbina’s Home, which houses all girls, should be completed in a few weeks so they can hopefully move in by Dec. 1st. The Boy’s Dorm, which houses our Jr. High and High School boys, should open by Christmas.
With all the new national requirements for foster homes, construction has taken longer than expected on all these buildings. We will not be able to complete the final 3 orphan homes this year. It just isn’t physically possible. Construction for those houses has been moved to April 2013, as the rainy season is about to begin, and all construction must come to a halt by Christmas. Pray for favour as we have to report our inability to complete the project in our next government reports which are due at the end of November.
I’ll keep you posted on their response.
Blessings to all of you!
Bush Bunny Brenda
P.S. This is Linda -- I was attacked by a rogue vacuum cleaner and wound up breaking my pelvis last Thursday night. I am blessed to be home to heal. Please pray for a speedy and complete recovery. -Thanks!
Subject: Blog October 28, 2012
Date: October 28, 2012 6:09:37 AM CDT
150+ NAMARA CHURCH MEMBERS GET FAITH BOOSTER TODAY
A woman came to the church for the first time today with an injured leg that had been swollen and very painful for over a year. After church members prayed for her, EVERYONE watched as the swelling went away and she was able to walk without pain! This was a real faith booster because THEY prayed and Jesus answered. Because I had prayed when other miracles had happened, some of the members were thinking that Jesus would only answer my prayers, even though we told them repeatedly that THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY as believers to ask in Jesus name and EXPECT the answer. This was a super valuable faith lesson for all of them today. PRAISE THE LORD for His mercy and grace!
FAITH IN JESUS CAN MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN IN OUR PATH, BUT WE MUST BELIEVE!
Here’s one to put up on your wall.
FAITH-sees the invisible
BELIEVES the incredible and
RECEIVES the impossible
(author unknown)
2013 SPEAKING TOUR OPEN FOR INVITATIONS
Due to commitments in Mozambique, my 2013 USA tour will be from Feb. 1st to March 31st. Invitations are already flowing in, and there are only a few Sundays to work with.
If your church would like to hear our story first hand, please contact me immediately so we can work out a visit date. I always look forward to seeing as many people as possible when I’m stateside.
Eric Dry, Associate Director in Balama, and our Master Movie Maker, is hard at work putting together a DVD on all we have accomplished in 2012. Your love and prayers mean a lot to us and the kids.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
FYI: OUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST IS ABOUT TO BE RELEASED.
This is your opportunity to give a special gift to a family member or friend and help an orphan at the same time.
NAMUNO FOOD HANDOUT COMPLETED LAST FRIDAY!
These malnourished kids and their parents now have food and seed to plant, thanks to your generous donations. Over 49 TONS of CORN, 12 TONS of BEANS, half a ton of salt, and 1,240 BARS of soap were distributed to these hungry families thanks to your love gifts. They will be busy organizing their corn and bean fields this week as the HOPE ONLY JESUS can bring, has put a smile on their face and a new beginning in their hands. AGAIN WE THANK YOU for making this possible.
ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS GOES GREEN
Michael Lowe, from Engineers without Borders, is flying in from the USA next Saturday, Nov. 3rd. His objective during his 3 week visit is to train up members of our staff to build a special type of “rocket stove” that uses very small amounts of fire wood to cook a family’s daily food. Firewood is getting scarce in our area, and our foster mothers use about 40 bundles per week! (20 pieces of firewood/ bundle). There are many “rocket stove” designs, and Michael travels the world teaching locals how to build the one that will work best in their area, depending on what type of materials are available. This will not only benefit our foster mothers, but we hope that our team can begin teaching others in the villages how to build them so they, too, can also cut their firewood usage. Ask any woman around here and she will tell you that finding firewood takes up most of her day. I’ll keep you posted on how this develops.
CONSTRUCTION WRAP-UP
Both our construction sites are in the final stages of the “detail work”. (slow and tedious) Balbina’s Home, which houses all girls, should be completed in a few weeks so they can hopefully move in by Dec. 1st. The Boy’s Dorm, which houses our Jr. High and High School boys, should open by Christmas.
With all the new national requirements for foster homes, construction has taken longer than expected on all these buildings. We will not be able to complete the final 3 orphan homes this year. It just isn’t physically possible. Construction for those houses has been moved to April 2013, as the rainy season is about to begin, and all construction must come to a halt by Christmas. Pray for favour as we have to report our inability to complete the project in our next government reports which are due at the end of November.
I’ll keep you posted on their response.
Blessings to all of you!
Bush Bunny Brenda
P.S. This is Linda -- I was attacked by a rogue vacuum cleaner and wound up breaking my pelvis last Thursday night. I am blessed to be home to heal. Please pray for a speedy and complete recovery. -Thanks!
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